Like it or not Hinduism is now an organized religious order. As it turns out there are hundreds of millions of people in India who do not identify with this denomination.

At the end of the day this is the classic "us vs them" paradigm as defined by Mohan Bhagwat and this is merely a reminder to all the "thems" to fall in line. Luckily this will not be a problem for the overwhelming majority of people on this website; and that I feel is the crux of the issue here.

Nothing to do with religion. Sanatan Dharm is a Religion/Philosophy, not Hindu. Hindu = People of Hind/Hindustan

Anyone in India saying "I am not a Hindu" is equal to saying "I am not an Indian" or "I am not Bharatiya"

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Currently "Hinduism" is also defined as a religion. I recently filled out a visa related application for an Indian visa and I had to declare a religion. "Santana Dharma" wasn't an option; Hinduism was.
Hence in order to avoid any confusion "Indian" should be the preferred nomenclature (since Hinduism = Indian and all these terms are foreign anyways). I'm sure this will put this entire debate to rest once and for all.

Now in this thread, people will endlessly split hairs about the definition of Hindutva, Hindu ancestry, etc.

By the way, how many people here feel that it is correct to say that "Hindustan is a land of Hindus and those whose ancestors were Hindus"? I think this is the crux of the whole issue.

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I think that's not what he said

"Hindustan is a Hindu nation...Hindutva is the identity of our nation and it (Hinduism) can incorporate others (religions) in itself," he said.

Last week, Bhagwat had said in Cuttack, "The cultural identity of all Indians is Hindutva and the present inhabitants of the country are descendants of this great culture."

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And I don't think he's making any derogatory statement, but I do understand that he's deliberately given this statement knowing that leftists, so called secularists will attack him no matter what and simultaneously he'd convince many Hindus including some what liberal hindus by saying that Hindutva is the identity of our nation and it can incorporate others in itself. This statement is very much true imo.

Like it or not Hinduism is now an organized religious order. As it turns out there are hundreds of millions of people in India who do not identify with this denomination.

At the end of the day this is the classic "us vs them" paradigm as defined by Mohan Bhagwat and this is merely a reminder to all the "thems" to fall in line. Luckily this will not be a problem for the overwhelming majority of people on this website; and that I feel is the crux of the issue here.

Click to expand...

And "them" already live like that, problem is some "them" who love other countries more than India and always consider their religion as superior to "us". And majority won't mind because that's the truth for every single country, adapt and respect the native culture.

1. In the derogatory sense in which the foreigners coined it.
2. In the religious sense.
3. In the sampradaya sense. (this is the most important)
4. In the sense of nationality (Nationalism as per Indian Constitution predicates you to owe allegiance to the constitution and nothing else)

etc.

==

If someone puts Bharatiya= Hindu and also says that Hindu isn't a religion, what's actually wrong with it.

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If I say Hindu = Anyone having aGuru, then what's so wrong with it ?

Without Guru it is impossible to realize the goal of this life; as is written in almost all Indian scriptures. So anyone who claims to be "Hindu" (various connotations) should be working towards realizing the goal of this life which is why he is part of a religion, and to achieve which he needs a Guru. So anyone who doesn't have a Guru (or actively looking to find one) cannot be a Hindu.

That makes almost all Sikhs Hindus, and most Hindus non Hindus.

PS : I hope there is nothing wrong with my definition ?
PPS: Bharat Varsha referred to the entire planet earth iirc. The sense in which it is being used is borne out of of nationalism in which religious or ethnic origin doesn't matter as per the Indian constitution.

Jagat is world. Bharat is name of a King. Jambudvipa was an alternate name of peninsular India.

Anyone who is a Citizen of India is Indian/Bharatiya/Hindu/Hindi/Hindustani. Anyone who have cultural roots in India is Indian/Bharatiya/Hindu/Hindi/Hindustani.

He who follows Sanatan Dharm in India is a Hindu Sanatani/Hindu Dharmic
He who follows Islam in India is a Hindu Muslim
He who follows Christianity in India is a Hindu Christian
He who follows Sikhism in India is a Hindu Sikh
He who follows Jainism in India is a Hindu Jain
...
so on and so forth

1. In the derogatory sense in which the foreigners coined it.
2. In the religious sense.
3. In the sampradaya sense. (this is the most important)
4. In the sense of nationality (Nationalism as per Indian Constitution predicates you to owe allegiance to the constitution and nothing else)

etc.

==

If I say Hindu = Anyone having aGuru, then what's so wrong with it ?

Without Guru it is impossible to realize the goal of this life; as is written in almost all Indian scriptures. So anyone who claims to be "Hindu" (various connotations) should be working towards realizing the goal of this life which is why he is part of a religion, and to achieve which he needs a Guru. So anyone who doesn't have a Guru (or actively looking to find one) cannot be a Hindu.

That makes almost all Sikhs Hindus, and most Hindus non Hindus.

PS : I hope there is nothing wrong with my definition ?
PPS: Bharat Varsha referred to the entire planet earth iirc. The sense in which it is being used is borne out of of nationalism in which religious or ethnic origin doesn't matter as per the Indian constitution.

Currently "Hinduism" is also defined as a religion. I recently filled out a visa related application for an Indian visa and I had to declare a religion. "Santana Dharma" wasn't an option; Hinduism was.
Hence in order to avoid any confusion "Indian" should be the preferred nomenclature (since Hinduism = Indian and all these terms are foreign anyways). I'm sure this will put this entire debate to rest once and for all.